UI reduces carbon dioxide emissions
The Chicago Climate Exchange has notified the University of Iowa that it reduced its carbon dioxide emissions in 2007 by almost 18 percent more than was required by its agreement with the exchange.
UI was legally bound to emit no more than 264,100 metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2007 to satisfy the emissions reduction required by the exchange. UI’s power plant emitted 217,300 actual tons of carbon dioxide, some 46,800 tons less than required.
UI is lowering its greenhouse gas emissions through innovative and sustainable practices that include burning oat hulls to replace coal, which also saves the university hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in coal costs. CCX is the world’s first — and North America’s only — multi-national and multi-sector marketplace for reducing and trading greenhouse gas emissions.
UI is one of only seven universities in the country in the exchange. By exceeding its goals through actual emission reductions, the university was able to sell carbon credits earlier this year to Michigan State University to help MSU to meet its first-year reduction targets.